


Falling Down (and Stumbling To You)

by giraffewrites



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: (by almost a year), (that’s what I’m calling them), Age changes, Cedric Diggory Lives, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Quidditch Injuries, Quidditch boyfriends, injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:54:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27480793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/giraffewrites/pseuds/giraffewrites
Summary: When Cedric falls off his broomstick in an early morning quidditch practice, it’s hard for Harry not to run straight to his side. But after a day of classes that seemed longer than usual, he’s finally able to see him in the hospital wing.
Relationships: Cedric Diggory/Harry Potter
Comments: 10
Kudos: 113





	Falling Down (and Stumbling To You)

**Author's Note:**

> Harry’s 15 in this whereas Cedric is 16. I wanted to change the ages because it made me more comfortable when writing them. Set after GoF but ignores the events of OoTP.

The hospital wing is one of the places that Harry knows best at Hogwarts, when he thinks about it. It seems that there isn’t a year where he’s not been there, be it for himself or someone else, or both.

The hallways of the castle are lit as he walks, the majority of his peers still eating dinner. Harry had shovelled down a couple of forkfuls of mash potato and chicken, before filling the pockets of his robes with food, wrapped in napkins. Before Hermione could scold him for not eating more or Ron could tease him (not that he’d be able to given how he was stuffing his face), Harry’d wove them goodbye and left the hall, the bottom of his robes swinging given the new weight of their pockets.

The portraits leading to the hospital wing seem to be in a good mood, talking to one another and sitting together in one another’s frames. The weather they’ve been having as of late has had everyone in a good mood, and it seems that stretches to the portraits of the castle as well. Thinking about it, Harry remembers The Fat Lady singing a rather particularly happy song this afternoon when he, Ron and Hermione had left for Potions.

Stopping just before the door, Harry takes his invisibility cloak out of his trouser pocket and throws it over himself, now ready to enter. There’s not many people in the hospital wing this evening. The first person he sees is a first year surrounded by her friends, much to Madam Pomfrey’s disapproval. It doesn’t take him long to find who he’s come up here for. Regardless of being invisible, Harry makes sure Madam Pomfrey’s distracted as he slips past her. He breaks into a light run as soon as he has, and is soon pulling the curtains around Cedric’s bed as quietly as I can.

“It’s me,” he explains, now turned around and seeing the confused look on Cedric’s face. He holds the invisibility cloak in his hand.

“You need to start warning me when you’re wearing that,” Cedric says, pushing himself up in bed. He winces, a pained expression on his face. “It’s all right,” he assures Harry, leaning his back on the pillows.

“Here,” Harry’s sat in a chair now, pulling wrapped food out of his pocket, “are you allowed to eat?”

“I hurt my back, I’m not waiting to go into surgery,” Cedric teases, despite the thankful smile he’s wearing.

“I can take it back down,” Harry says, hand just out of reach of Cedric’s, “I’m sure Ron will eat it.”

Cedric rolls his eyes, thanking Harry when he puts the food in his lap. Harry watches as he starts to eat, doing such as if he hasn’t eaten all day. Which come to think of it, he probably hasn’t.

“So, what did happen?” Harry asks, trying his best not to have like Mrs Weasley’s level of concern in his voice. “Hannah said you fell of your broomstick.”

“Yeah, but it was my fault really. I crashed right into Maxine, it’s a good thing that it was only me who got hurt.”

Harry gives a laugh that they both know he doesn’t really mean. “Yeah, definitely.”

Cedric, with the help of Harry moving closer, wraps his hand around Harry’s wrist. “I’m all right. Come tomorrow I’ll be out of here and back on that broomstick, showing you how it’s really done.”

Harry smiles, genuine this time. “You must’ve hit your head as well, because if anyone’s going to show anyone how it’s done, it’ll be me.”

Again, Cedric rolls his eyes, a smile matching Harry’s on his face. “We’ll see who’s teaching who when Hufflepuff wins next Saturday.”

“Keep on dreaming.”

Harry makes the conversation whilst Cedric eats, talking in hushed tones and pulling the cloak over himself every time footsteps near them.

He remembers what it was like the first time he’d visited Cedric in the hospital wing, sneaking back in after dark with Ron and Hermione. Harry had been released the morning after Voldemort had returned during the Tri-Wizard Tournament, Mrs Weasley practically having to drag him away and insisting that Cedric simply needed more rest than Harry, given the circumstances.

Harry had snuck back in not long after, unable to shake off any of the guilt he was feeling for Cedric’s condition. He’d kept his distance, stood watching Cedric’s parents by his bedside, wishing he could offer something more than an apology (he had tried offering his share of the gold, but they’d refused).

When Cedric eventually came round to it and Harry got him on his own, the apology Harry rushed out was cut short with Cedric’s assurance that it was all right, he was just glad they both made it out. He’d given Harry’s hand a squeeze, and that’s probably where Harry would pinpoint his realisation of having more than just platonic feelings he had towards Cedric.

“You should probably get going soon,” Cedric suggests, cheek pressed into the pillow. “But come back up tomorrow morning, especially if there’s croissants.”

Although he doesn’t want to go, Harry stands up. If he doesn’t leave now he’s more likely to run into Peeves, and that’s the last thing he wants to do. “I hope your back’s better in the morning,” he says, pulling the cloak around his shoulders, becoming essentially only a head.

Cedric gives a soft chuckle, seemingly never going to be able to grow used to the invisibility cloak in any way. “I’ll be fine. I’m only staying so Madam Pomfrey can keep an eye on it.”

Harry steps forward and leans down, catching Cedric’s lips on his own. The kiss is chaste and tastes of blueberries, and Harry has to stop himself from frowning when Cedric pulls back.

“In the morning,” he tells Harry, as if reading his mind, the pad of his thumb rubbing Harry’s arm where the cloak’s slipped away.

Harry finds himself smiling, and gives in to kissing Cedric once more before stepping away from the bed. “Goodnight then.”

“Goodnight,” Cedric replies, watching as Harry pulls the cloak over his head and part the curtains.

Harry leaves in a better mood than he’d been in when he first heard the rumours about Cedric this morning, but hasn’t completely rid himself of all concern. As great as Hermione and Ron are, he’s found it’ good to have someone to spend time with when the two of them are at each other’s throats. Besides, he and Cedric share an intimacy greater than he could ever imagine. One he definitely couldn’t (and doesn’t want to) imagine sharing between his two best friends, or anyone else, actually.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing Cedric/Harry, so comments would mean a lot!!
> 
> Find me on Twitter @ giraffewrites :)


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